The Town of Barnstable reached another significant milestone in efforts to clean up its inland and coastal waters by successfully completing state environmental review of the Town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP). The Certificate of completion issued late last month by the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides states that the Town’s CWMP “adequately and properly complies with Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act’s (MEPA) and its implementing regulations.”
In sharing the news with the Barnstable Town Council, Daniel Santos, Department of Public Works Director, said, “The Certificate from Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs is no small matter. The fact that the regulatory agencies, and there are many that participate in this review, were very satisfied with our project is a major accomplishment and will do us well in the implementation phase.”
Barnstable Town Manager Mark Ells spoke to the work called for in the CWMP that has been done and will take place in Barnstable in the future, “The Town of Barnstable has made substantial strides toward improving water quality in its inland and coastal waters. The Town already has invested more than $30 million to reduce nutrient levels in its estuaries, and this plan dramatically speeds up the timeline on major projects, including extending sewer service to nearly 12,000 properties, while managing costs for taxpayers and limiting construction disruptions for residents, businesses and visitors.”
The next and final step in the approval of the CWMP is for the Town to petition the Cape Cod Commission for a Consistency Determination with the 208 Area Wide Water Quality Management Plan, the regional framework to restore embayment water quality on Cape Cod mandated under the federal Clean Water Act. The 208 Consistency Determination ensures that the CWMP is consistent with a watershed-based approach to reduce or eliminate excess nitrogen reaching coastal waters.
You can view the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan here: https://www.townofbarnstable.us/WaterResources/CWMP_Final.asp
You can view the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs certification here:https://www.townofbarnstable.us/WaterResources/Secretary%20Certificate%20-%20Barnstable%20CWMP%20SEIR%2012_30_2020.pdf
